“Where are you putting up?” asked Mrs. Vincent.
During the drive Barry sat silent for the most part, listening to Phyllis talking excitedly and eagerly beside him, answering at random the questions which came like rapid fire from them all, but planning meanwhile how he should prolong these moments of bliss.
“How about supper?” he cried, as they arrived in the courtyard of the hotel. “Come in. I want you to; you see I have so much to ask and so much to tell Captain Fraser here, and three of my days are gone already. Besides, I want you to awfully.”
Mrs. Vincent looked at his face, which for all its brightness was worn and deep-lined, and her compassionate motherly heart was stirred.
“Of course we'll come. We want to see you and to hear about your experiences.”
“Oh, bully!” cried Barry. “I shall always remember how good you are to me to-night.”
“Oh, this is great, Neil. It's like having a bit of the old battalion here to see you again.”
While waiting for their orders to be filled at the supper table, Captain Neil turned suddenly to Barry and said, “What's all this about a train wreck and the gallant O. C. train?”
“Yes, and this rescuing of men from burning cars,” exclaimed Phyllis.
“Now where did you get all that stuff?” inquired Barry.
“Why, all London is ringing with it,” said Captain Neil.
“Nonsense,” said Barry; “who's been stuffing you?”
“Well,” said Phyllis, “we came across your sergeant to-day in the hospital. Such a funny man.”
“Who? Fatty Matthews?” asked Barry, turning to Captain Neil.
“Yes, it was Fatty,” said Captain Neil, “and if you had your rights by his account, you ought to be in command at this moment of an army corps at the very least. But you were O. C. leave train, were you not?”
“Yes, to my dismay I was made O. C., but I met a chap, Captain Courtney, a very decent fellow, my adjutant, and made him carry on.”
“We had a wreck, a ghastly affair it was, though it might have been a lot worse. The R. A. M. C. people did magnificently, and the men behaved awfully well, so that we managed to get through.”
“And what about the O. C.?” inquired Captain Neil.
“Oh, nothing special. He just saw that the others carried on. Now tell me about you people. What have you been doing and what are you going to do?”